Hinge bracket



A. F. BECK HINGE BRACKET' Nov. 6, 1934.

Filed July 11, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet we" AZZenFBec/ X A. F. BECK Nov. 6,1934.

HINGE BRACKET Filed July 11, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet I In Patented Nov. 6,i934 sies- HINGE BRACKET Allen F. Beck, Columbus, Ohio, assignor to TheClark Grave Vault Company, Columbus, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application July 11, 1933, Serial No. 679,931

6 Claims. (Cl. 16-112) This invention relates to improvements inswinging handles and has particular reference to an improved handleconstruction which has been especially designed for use in connectionwith the hood or cover sections of grave vaults,

caskets or the like to facilitate the lifting and transportation of suchobjects.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a swinging handlestructure which is 1gadapted to be spring pressed in all of itsoperative positions so that when the associated handle bar is released,the spring pressure will be such as to cause it to remain in its givenposition of adjustment, thereby avoiding undesired movement thereof, butproviding a means whereby the bar can be returned to any other desiredposition by the application of slight manual pressures. By the'provisionof these features of construction, the hingedly supported bar isprevented from 29, striking, when released, associated vault parts andcreating noise or other objectionable features.

-It is another object of the invention to provide a swinging handleconstruction especially designed for application upon the exteriorsurfaces of sheet metal grave vaults, and wherein the handleconstruction is strong, efficient, economical, is devoid of fasteningelements which penetrate the sides of an associated vault hood, andwherein the handle construction, when applied,

presents a pleasing ornamental appearance.

With these and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in the novel features ofconstruction, combination of elements and arrangements of partshereinafter fully described and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the hood section ofa metallic gravevault, illustrating the imj proved swinging handle construction,comprising the present invention, mounted in connection therewith;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged view in front elevation of the handleconstruction;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken through the handle bar on theplane indicated by the line III-III of Fig. 2; i

.Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical'sectional view on the line IV-IV ofFig. 2;

' Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line. V--V of Fig. 2; 1

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view showing the handle bar in itselevated or active position;

Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the spring members used in connectionwith each handle bar support,

Fig. 8 is a similar view of one of the bar supports; 1

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of one of the so. securing plates;

Fig. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line X--X of Fig. 5.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1 designatesthe hood section of a sheet 5 metal grave vault. Such vault has its hoodsection provided along its sides and ends with supporting handles bymeans of which the lifting and carrying of the vault may be effected.The improved handle construction, comprising the present invention,comprises a plurality of ornamental sheet metal plates as indicated at2. These plates are secured to the outer walls of the hood atappropriate positions by providing such outer walls with welded studs 3,terminating in threaded outer ends 4. These outer ends pass throughregistering openings provided in the plates 2 and are equipped withcrown nuts 5 by means of which the plates are securely retained inconnection with said studs and the 30 sides of the vault hood. Thisconstruction, avoids, as set forth in my prior patent, No. 1,660,703,the necessity for passing the plate securing elements through the sidewalls of the hood and thus avoids the possibility of moisture seepage 35through the openings in the walls of the hood through which suchsecuring elements ordinarily pass.

As shown in Fig. 9, the outer wall of each of the plates 2 is providedwith a pair of semi-circular openings 6, and each of these openings isformed along its lower horizontal edge with a curved lip 7. This lip isarranged for the reception of a transverse pin 8, which is held in aseated position in said lip, as shown in Fig. 6, by the vertical leg ofaspring member 9, the latter being secured to anassociated plate bymeans of the nuts 5.

The ends of the pin 8 are received within registering openings 10 formedin the hollow semispherical upper ends 11 of pivoted handle bar supports12. These supports are preferably formed from stamped sheet meta-landhave their lower ends terminatedin rectangular loops 13 which areadapted for the reception and conform to the contour of longitudinallyextending metallic handle bars 14. Also, the supports 12, contiguous tothe upper edges of the handle bars, are provided with interlocking lugs15 by which the loops 13 are positively maintained in clamping 1 0engagement with the exterior surfaces of said bars. The outer ends ofthe bars 14, as shown in Fig. 3, are equipped with ornamental ends 16which are secured in connection with the open ends of the bar material14 by the beads 17 which enter the depressions 18 formed in the ends 16.The upper ends of the spring members 9 are formed with semisphericalenlargements 19 which are positioned within and conform to theconfiguration of the internal surfaces of the upper ends 11 of thehandle supports 12. The sprin enlargements l9 resiliently andfrictionally engage at all times with the supports 12 and oiferresistance to the swinging movement of the handle bars and theirsupports through the 90 of turning movement which these members possess.When in the elevated position disclosed in Fig. 6, the edges 20 of thesupports 12 are brought into engagement with the rear surfaces oftheiplates 2, thereby limiting further upward swinging movement of thebars and their associated supports.

In the event the bars are released, accidentally or otherwise, when intheir elevated positions, 25

dropping or swinging movement thereof is precluded by the frictionalpressure exerted on the interior surfaces 11 of the supports 12 throughthe inter-position of the spring enlargements 19. This pressure issufficient to normally hold the straps against movement to overcome theweight of the bars 14 at their outer ends, requiring some positiveapplication of extraneous pressure to swing the bars downwardly. Thisprevents the noisy dropping of the bars against the sides of the hood asin ordinary constructions and in this respect overcomes one of theoutstanding objections to ordinary hinge mountings for handle bars.

The construction has the advantage of being simple and economical,presents a pleasing and attractive appearance when mounted on theexterior of a vault hood, and also possesses marked mechanical strengthand durability. It will be noted that the supports 12 are of curvedhollow formaton so that when in their lowered positions, the same coverand conceal the securing nuts 5 so that normally the latter are notexposed to view.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4:, the central lower portion of the plate 2 isrecessed and under-cut as at 22 to produce the off-set horizontallyextending bars 23. Each of these bars consists of a double thickness ofmetal which is formed by bending upwardly the stock of the plate poduced in the formation of the recess 22. These bars are adapted for thereception of supporting straps used at the time of interment and theform of the bars is such as to avoid cutting or injuring the supportingstraps. Above the bars 23, the sheet metal material from which theplates 2 are formed is rounded or curved as at 24 in an inwardlydirection to provide a wide guide opening for the straps and likewiseavoidinjury thereto.

The welded studs are shouldered as at 25 to engage with the rear surfaceof the plate 2 around the openings through which the threaded shanksprovided at the outer ends of the studs project. When the nuts 5 arethreaded into clamping engagement with the plates, the latter areprevented by the shoulders of the studs from flexing. This preserves thefixed pivotal relationship between the pivot 8 of the supports 12 andthe sides of the vault hood, so that the spherical head 11 of thesupports 12 will be prevented from engaging frictionally with the sidesof the vault hood and maintained in desired operative relationshiptherewith.

What I claim is:

l. A handle bar hinge comprising a plate formed for attachment to theside of an associated body, a handle bar, a pair of supporting membersconnected at their outer ends with said handle bar, the inner ends ofsaid supporting members terminating in semi-spherical enlargements, apivotal connection between the enlarged ends of said supporting membersand said plate, and resilient means arranged within the sphericalenlargements of said supporting members and frictionally engaging thesame to exert pressures tending to resist swinging movement of saidhandle barand supporting members.

- 2. A handle bar hinge comprising a sheet metal plate provided withinturned peripheral flanges, means for securing said plate to the sideof an associated body with the main body portion of said plate spacedfrom said body, said plate being provided with a pair of openings, apair of handle bar supporting members provided at their inner ends withspherical enlargements arranged to be received within said openings,pivot means for uniting the spherical enlargements of said supportingmembers in connection with said openings, and resilient means arrangedwithin the spherical enlargements of said supporting members and inconstant frictional contact therewith'and operative to resist pivotalturning movement of said supporting members.

3. A handle bar hinge comprising a plate, means for securing said plateto an associated body, said plate being provided with a semi-circularopening, a lip formed along one of the edges of said opening, a pinpositioned in said lip, a spring member provided with a resilientsemi-spherical head and a depending leg for connection with saidsecuring means, said leg serving to retain said pin in seated relationwith said lip, and a handle bar supporting member having asemi-spherical enlargement at its upper end, said enlargement beingreceived within the opening provided in said plate and pivotallysupported by said pin in frictional engagement with said resilient headof the spring member to resist movement of the supporting member.

4. A swinging handle mechanism for grave vaults, comprising a sheetmetal plate formed with a peripheral flange arranged to engage directlywith the side of a vault body, a stud projecting outwardly from saidbody and having a threaded outer extremity arranged to pass through anopening formed in said plate, resilient means positioned upon said stud,a nut secured to said threaded extremity and serving to hold both theplate in connection with the vault body and the resilient means inposition upon said plate, a handle supporting member pivoted to saidplate above and in vertical registration with said securing nut, saidsupporting member being formed to cover said nut and resilient meanswhen the supporting member is in a lowered position, said resilientmeans cooperating with the pivotal portion of said supporting member toresist swinging movement thereof.

7 5. A handle mechanism for grave vaults comprising a sheet metal plateformed with a peripheral flange arranged to engage directly with theside of a vault, a shouldered stud projecting outwardly from said bodyand having a threaded outer portion arranged to pass through an openingprovided in said plate, a nut secured to the threaded portion of saidstud and serving to retain the plate in connection with the Vault body,a handle supporting member pivoted to the plate in close proximity tothe opening for said stud, the shoulder on said stud cooperating withthe nut when the same is tightened to hold the pivotal mounting of thesupporting member in proper operative relationship with respect to theside of the vault.

6. A handle mechanism for grave vaults comprising a sheet metal plateformed with a peripheral flange arranged to engage directly with theside of a vault body, means for securing said plate in rigid associationwith the vault body, an integral horizontally extending bar formed withthe around said bar.

ALLEN F. BECK.

